TDS Co-Editor Ruy Teixeira’s latest ‘Public Opinion Snapshot’ post at the Center for American Progress web pages brings bad news for fear-mongers who are trying to squash health care reform — the public isn’t buying it, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll. While the public “still has many questions and concerns about health care reform,” Teixeira presents encouraging data for reform advocates:

The public was asked whether the president and Congress passing health care reform would make “the country as a whole” worse off or better off. By 53-28, the public thought the country would be better off, rather than worse off.
So much for taking the country down the road to socialism. What about ruining the economy? Over the long term, the public believes, by 49-37, that passing health care reform will actually help the nation’s economy.
And that public option, which conservatives say is the worst of the worst? That still draws 57-39 support from the public, despite the endless talk about how this would mean “a government takeover of the health care system.”

With solid public support for all the key elements of health care reform, the challenge now falls to congress. Says Teixeira, “Let’s hope their elected representatives do the same and complete the historic task before them of finally passing health care reform.”